Our Fitness Blog

I Just Need To Workout More, Right?

It's very common for individuals to think that working out more/harder is going to be the key to success. Whether someone is looking to transform their body, improve overall health and fitness and/or improve athletic performance, the thought of "more/harder" in terms of working out is what many individuals will gravitate towards. The key to success is not about working out more/harder, rather, the key to success is working out smarter. How do we work out smarter? This revolves around heart rate training; the true key to success. According to Cardiologist/Electrophysiologist, Dr. Vest, "only following perceived effort, pace and/or power is very shortsighted because we are ignoring the most important factors that affect heart rate.” Bottom line is this, there is only one number that tells us, physiologically, what the body is doing and that is heart rate. This is very similar to an automobile. If we are driving a manual transmission and we hit redline on the tachometer and then we keep it redlined for an extended period of time, what is going to happen? Well, there's a very good chance that we are going to damage and blow the engine of our car. The same holds true for the human body. Our heart rate monitor is our human tachometer.

By working out smarter and working out in the proper heart rate zones, the benefits are endless:

help assist in increasing the body's ability to burn body fat

help assist in maximizing body transformation

help assist in maximizing the productivity of each workout

help assist in maximizing fitness and efficiency

help assist in minimizing the risk of overtraining

help assist in minimizing the risk of injury

help assist in minimizing the risk of excessive post-work out soreness

help assist in improving the body's ability to recover

All too often, when individuals hear about heart rate training, and having to work out in specific heart rate zones, they think that they may have to work out easier/slower. Working out smarter and working out in the proper heart rate zones is not about working out easier or slower. Sure, in the beginning, the individual very well may have to "slow down" in order to maintain the prescribed heart rate zones. But this is just the start of many great things ahead. As this individual continues strict heart rate training, they will start to see significant improvements in their efficiency. And this is one of the biggest goals of working out smarter and working out in the proper heart rate zones; we are looking to build a high level of efficiency. Efficiency is this; we want to teach the body to go longer, harder, faster… At the lowest heart rate possible.

The goal of a great workout is not to just simply work out as hard as possible and jack up the heart rate as high as possible. Rather, the goal is to work out as hard as possible… At the lowest heart rate possible. That is the key to success right there. We want to train the heart to beat as slow as possible, but at the same time, move the body as fast as possible. Do you see the huge difference here? On one end of the spectrum, individuals are trying to work out as hard as possible and crank that heart rate up as high as possible, thinking that this is going to bring them success (this is not the goal as this is much like the fad diet of nutrition). But on the other end of the spectrum, we want to focus on working out smarter and building efficiency (this is the goal; very much like Eating Right and fueling the body properly). We are going to teach the body to become an amazingly efficient system so that we can work out longer, harder, faster… At the lowest heart rate possible. According to Dr. Richard Vest, working out more/harder and not smarter (proper heart rate training) can put a big oxidative stress on the body and this can inhibit recovery.

So how can we ensure we are working out smart and maximizing each and every workout? Look no further than 9Round Pulse™ heart rate training system. During your 9Round workout, you can monitor your heart rate the entire time. The goal is to is stay within the aerobic heart rate zones, the green and yellow (up to 90% of maximum HR). When we go above 90% of maximum HR, we 'get into the red' HR zone (anaerobic zone- How Much Red Should I Aim For?) Dr. Vest mentions that oxidative stress can occur in both aerobic and anaerobic states. During anaerobic metabolism, lactic acid and hydrogen ions will damage the muscles and physiologically, this is not what we were designed to do (Oxidative Stress and Physical Activity). From a fitness and athletic performance perspective, this can result in an athlete stopping completely, acidosis, acid in the blood, lactic acid in the muscles and the inability to metabolize oxygen. Working out in the proper heart rate zones (Green & Yellow HR Zones for 9Round members) of course can prevent this from occurring.

What can I expect once I start to follow strict heart rate training? Well, if at first you find yourself having to work out at a fairly "slow pace and effort" in order to maintain these prescribed heart rate zones, no worries; you are right on track. This is simply telling us that we have not yet built the necessary cardiac efficiency. If our heart rate is increasing quickly, at a fairly easy effort, this shows us that the heart is having to work far too hard given the effort that we are putting forth. Just like becoming successful at anything, working out smart and working out in the proper heart rate zones takes patience. Always keep in mind, it's easy to work out hard. But, it takes time, effort, energy, patience, focus and discipline to work out smart.

In time, as you continue to work out smart and continue to work out in the proper heart rate zones, look out! You are going to hit your stride and you are going to hit levels of fitness and body composition that you never thought were possible. You are going to find yourself working out extremely hard, but you will still be in the proper heart rate zones. In time, you will become so efficient from working out smarter that it is going to be challenging at times to even get your heart rate to the top of the yellow heart rate zone (this is great!). You are going to feel like you are working at maximum effort and intensity, and then you are going to look at your heart rate and realize you are nowhere near the 90%. I can promise you this, when you reach this level, you are going to feel absolutely incredible. This is the huge payoff for working out smart and working out in the proper heart rate zones.

In summary, working out in the proper heart rate zones is not about "going easy." We are working on building efficiency. We are training the heart to beat as slow as possible but at the same time, move your body as fast as possible. Always keep in mind, the goal is not to work out as hard as possible and crank up the heart rate as high as possible. Rather, the goal is to work out as hard as possible… At the lowest heart rate possible. Keep us posted on how your amazing 9Round Pulse™ heart rate training journey is progressing. Get ready to see some amazing results and get ready to reach the highest fitness level you've ever seen!